You Three Knew I Was In There!
by Element Of One
Summary: (Repost) Lapis Lazuli fought against the crystal gems, "with a cracked gem," and she nearly defeated them. What happens when Steven heals her and she refuses to leave? Just how powerful is Lapis lazuli and can she be merciful? Does Lapis have some other purpose for staying in Beach City, other than revenge?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hello Everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfiction, again! I took this particular story down because I was dissatisfied with the way that it turned out. I made Lapis Lazuli into an insane, psychotic, individual; but I have since polished her character, and tried to come up with a story line that wasn't so dark and gloomy. I don't know if I've succeeded in that, but I'm sure you guys will let me know. Also, I'm still trying to come up with an ending for this story, I'd like it to end it on a positive note. I'll be brain storming over the next few days! **_

_**Special thanks to "MarvelGuy00" for inspiring me to repost it.**_

**Lapis Lazuli**: _Wait, you have healing powers?_

**Steven**: _I know, right?!_

**Lapis Lazuli**_: Oh, what should I…._

**Steven**: _Oh, uh, sorry. This might be a little weird…_

**Lapis Lazuli**: _*Shudders*_

**Lapis Lazuli**: _Thank you, Steven!_

"_No problem Lapis, glad I could help_," Steven replied. He continued and said, _"The gems aren't so bad, they didn't mean you any harm."_

All of the sudden Lapis's anger and rage came to ahead. She felt her pulse rise, her heart felt as if it was about to explode, and she began to grind her teeth.

"_THEY DIDN'T MEAN ANY HARM!?"_, she screamed at Steven.

Steven's heart began to sink as he pleaded with Lapis.

"_Please Lapis! Please don't hurt them! Please forgive them for what they've done!"_

"_I healed you Lapis, you know that I'm your friend! Please don't hurt the Gems, they're like my family!"_

Stevens's pleas fell on deaf ears. By now Lapis was already gliding towards him with tremendous speed. She snatched him up and flew straight down the side of the standing ocean she created; she was heading straight towards the crystal gems….

"_Oh my god!..."_ Pearl whispered to herself as she saw what was coming from above.

Garnet and Amethyst both looked up and screamed, _"STEVEN!"_

On their way down, Lapis glared into Steven's eyes and she noticed he was already crying.

She held his face close to hers and whispered, _"This is nothing personal Steven, please forgive me, I don't mean you any harm….."_

"_BUT THEY MUST BE PUNISHED FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!"_

Lapis bubbled Steven in the most protective barrier that she could summon, and while in flight, she threw Steven at the crystal gems with all her strength….

"_STEVEN! NO!..._Pearl screamed…..


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Battle**

"_Hold on Steven, I'm coming!"_….. Garnet yelled as she pushed herself off the ground and leaped into the air towards him.

Garnet leaped off the ground with such force, that when she reached Steven the bubble barrier protecting him instantly burst.

Garnet held Steven underneath her right arm, and with her left arm she summoned her gauntlet.

Lapis and Garnet were heading straight towards each other. But before Lapis could do anything, Garnet swung her arm and punched Lapis straight in her jaw. Garnets punch was so powerful, it knocked Lapis out of flight and straight into the standing ocean

Garnet and Steven fell back to the earth, and as soon as she landed on her feet, she called for Lion. She placed Steven on Lions back, along with Connie, and turned her attention towards Greg.

She looked at Greg and said in a quiet but stern voice:

"_Head back to the Temple! We have to stop her!"_

Greg, without questioning her, jumped on Lions back and shouted, _"Lets go Lion, get us out of here!"_

Lion created a portal, jumped into it, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Garnet turned her attention to both Pearl and Amethyst, and said,

"_Gems! ….Fuse with me!...We need Alexandrite!"_

Pearl and Amethyst both nodded their heads and began to synchronize with Garnet. Less than a minute later, the powerful warrior known as "Alexandrite," stood there ready for battle.

Just then, a loud and terrible scream came from the ocean, as the water began to rumble. The walls of the ocean began to break down, with the force of the water landing on Alexandrite.

She braced herself by placing all six of her arms above her head and shoulders, and tried her best to withstand the force of the water coming down on her.

Alexandrite was now waist deep in the ocean. She placed her hands down to her sides, and clinched them into fists.

She stood there waiting, with rage and adrenaline pumping through her body. She waited for a few more moments and finally called out to Lapis.

"_COME OUT YOU COWARD!...I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK!...YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET EVER PLACING YOUR HANDS ON STEVEN!"_

Her threats didn't go unanswered as "two giant fists," formed from the ocean, came out of the water and were heading straight towards her.

The two fists formed into "one giant fist" and connected with Alexandrite, knocking her off her feet. Alexandrite was now on her back, laying in the ocean, and was struggling to get to her feet.

She was in a daze and quietly mumbled to herself_, "ouch….," _as she proceeded to regain her focus.

But before she could get to her feet, Lapis came bursting out of the ocean.

Lapis was hovering in the air with her aqua wings. She was now staring down at Alexandrite with a look of rage in her eyes and said:

"_So I'm a coward!?"_

Alexandrite stared at her and began to grimace. She opened her mouth beneath her face, and proceeded to show her "fangs". Her personality had changed as she became more unstable and animal like, and began drooling. She pushed herself out of the water and leaped into the air towards Lapis.

She screamed, with her jaws wide open and shouted, _"I'M HUNGRY!...I WONDER HOW YOU TASTE!"_

Lapis, who made no movements and was completely still, waited as Alexandrite drew near. But before Alexandrite got any closer, Lapis swung both of her arms together, closing her palms. In doing so, "two giant hands" came from the ocean and smashed Alexandrite in between them.

Like a bug that had been smashed, she fell back to the ocean and made a loud splash as she hit the water. Alexandrite was now floating on her back and was unconscious, and began struggling to open her eyes….

By now Lapis was hovering over her and had an evil smile on her face. She turned away from Alexandrite and focused her attention on the sea.

She stretched out her arms, with her palms facing the sea, and began to concentrate. Just then a giant "object" began slowly rising out of the water and into the air.

Lapis turned her attention back towards Alexandrite, who was now struggling to get to her feet. With her arms above her head, and the large object now floating in the air, Lapis looked down at Alexandrite and said,

"_Don't worry, I'll make this quick!"_

She threw both of her arms down to her sides, with such force, that she grunted as she did so. The object came spiraling down towards Alexandrite, and all she could do was try to brace herself.

Alexandrite yelled out, _"STEVEN!"_ right before the "torpedo" hit her.

Lapis smiled and said to Alexandrite,

"_Don't worry, I'll take good care of Steven!"….._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Punishment**

Steven turned his attention towards the sea. He could see that the ocean began tumbling down, and everything was coming back to normal.

He shouted, _"They did it! The gems did it! They were able to stop Lapis!"_

"_Lets go back and see if they need our help!"_

Steven began to run, but before he could get any further, Greg put his hand on his sons shoulder and said:

"_Hold on buddy, lets wait here for them to return. I know Garnet would want us to stay and wait."_

"_Besides, we have to take Connie home. Her parents are probably worried sick."_

Steven nodded his head and listened to his father.

Greg called to Lion. He placed Connie and Steven on Lions back, and instructed him to take Connie home to her parents.

"_Dad, aren't you coming?"_, Steven said.

Greg replied, _"I'll wait her Steven, I'm sure the Gems will be here shortly. Why don't you go with Connie and make sure she gets home safely. Okay buddy?"_

Steven acknowledged his father and said, _"Alright, lets go Lion! Take us to Connie's house."_

Lion created a portal and was about to jump through it. But before they left, they heard a "loud explosion" coming from the ocean.

The blast was so loud that Greg and the kids covered their ears. Steven looked at his father, with tears coming down his face, and asked:

"_Are you sure they're going to be okay dad!?"_

Greg hugged his son and quietly said:

"_I'm sure they're fine Steven. Its 3 against 1, that blue lady doesn't stand a chance."_

Steven smiled, he turned his attention towards lion and shouted:

"_Lets go Lion!"_

Lion jumped through the portal with Connie and Steven on his back, all three were gone in an instant.

Greg sat there, on the steps of the beach house, and put both of his hands on his face. He sighed heavily and quietly whispered to himself:

"_I'm too old for this…this kid is going to kill me!…I wish you were her Rose…"_

**Back at the Beach.**

Lapis covered her face to shield her eyes from the blast. After the sand and the mist of water came back to the earth, she focused her eyes on her opponent.

Alexandrite was no longer in the ocean. She was now laying on the beach and was gasping for air.

Lapis looked down at her and began slowly flapping her wings, as she made it to the beach.

Once her feet touched the ground, her wings disappeared into her gem and she began walking towards Alexandrite.

Alexandrite let out a shriek as she struggled to breathe. She noticed Lapis walking towards her and she began to separate. Her body began to illuminate, as all three Gems separated.

Pearl was on her back, looking up towards the sky. She had cuts and scrapes all over her body, and was struggling to breathe.

Amethyst was lying face down in the sand, but she turned her body over to take in a breath. She too was badly injured.

Garnet however, was the only one kneeling as she began to pick herself up. With her visors now completely shattered, she grabbed what was left of them and pulled them off her face. She held the broken visors in her palm and clinched her fists. She threw the remaining pieces to the ground, and began glaring towards Lapis.

Lapis was now facing Garnet, and began smiling as she continued to walk towards her.

Garnet, in her rage, charged towards Lapis with both of her Gauntlets drawn. Her eyes were burning, and she let out a roar as she drew near.

Lapis stood there and waited as Garnet closed in. But as soon as Garnet came close, and threw a right punch at her, Lapis ducked and got underneath her.

In one motion, Lapis turned her right arm into a liquid spear and proceeded to throw a punch at Garnets midsection; and in doing so she impaled her.

Garnet let out a scream, as all three of her eyes became wide with a feeling of shock and pain in them.

Pearl and Amethyst both looked up to witness what had just happened. Their mouths dropped as they saw what Lapis had done to her. Lapis now had Garnet slouched over her right shoulder, with the spear sticking out of her back.

In a blast of smoke, Garnet was gone and both of her gems fell to the sand.

Amethyst jumped up screaming with rage, and began charging towards Lapis with her whip drawn.

"_I'll KILL YOU, YOU BITCH!," _she shouted as she drew near_._

Pearl shouted at Amethyst and said:

"_Amethyst! Wait!...…No!"_

But before Amethyst got any closer, the ocean came onto the beach and completely enveloped her.

Amethyst was now stuck in a tsunami of water and began struggling to fight her way out. Lapis walked over towards the water structure that she had created, and watched as Amethyst was slowly drowning.

Amethyst's body went limp, her body disappeared, and all that remained was her Gemstone, floating in a whirlpool of ocean.

Lapis reached into the water structure and pulled out the gem, she watched as the water returned to the ocean. She looked at the gemstones in her palms and began to smile as she thought of something truly sinister.

She took both Garnet and Amethyst's Gems, and created a "necklace" made out of water. She smiled as she placed the jewelry around her neck, with Amethyst's gem on the inside, and both Garnets on the outside.

She slowly turned her attention towards Pearl and asked:

"_How do you like my new necklace? Does it look good on me?"_

"_Red and purple are not really my colors….but I always liked jewelry."_

Pearl looked at her in shock, with her mouth wide open. With fear in her heart, her eyes grew wide, as she began to cry and ask:

"_Why are you doing this!?...Steven healed you and he set you free!...Why don't you just leave already!"_

Lapis never responded to Pearl's questions. Instead she smiled and said:

"_You know,..…..I don't know if I can trust your response. I think I need to see how I look for myself."_

Lapis raised her arm towards the ocean and began to concentrate. Out of the waves came an "object" that was carried on the tide and placed at her feet. Lapis smiled as she bent down to pick up the object.

Pearl shrieked in horror as she watched what it was. She started breaking down and pleaded with Lapis:

"_Please don't do this!...we were wrong!...have mercy!"_

Lapis once again disregarded her words. Instead, she smiled once more and said:

"_You know…..I think I need my mirror!... I'm glad I found it!"_

"_But there's a problem, its broken….I think that's where you come in Pearl."_

Peals heart sank, as she heard her words. She pulled herself together and responded, only this time she had "anger" in her voice:

"_If you hurt Steven, I swear I'll make you pay!"_

Lapis just laughed at her and said:

"_The only thing you're going to be doing, is enjoying your Prison!"_

"_You'll get to look at my beautiful face every time I feel like using my mirror."_

Pearl laid her body down and looked up towards the sky. She had tears in her eyes, as she quietly whispered:

"_I love you Steven!"…._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: We're Friends Aren't We?**

"_Where are they dad? Why aren't they home?"_ Steven said to his father in a sad voice.

"_I'm worried about them. They've never taken this long to come home once they finished a mission." _

Greg wrapped his arms around Steven and said:

"_I'm sure they're fine son, remember they're coming home on foot. I'm pretty sure Lapis completely destroyed my van, so they're walking the rest of the way."_

"_We should lay down and try to get some sleep. They'll be here in the morning."_

It was nightfall, so Greg and Steven decided to turn in for the rest of the evening.

Greg walked Steven upstairs and laid him down on his bed. He wrapped his son in a blanket before heading downstairs and passing out on the couch. The house was completely quiet as the two fell asleep.

Steven opened his eyes to the sound of the ocean outside and the cool blue morning sky. He leaned up from his pillow and began to rub his eyes. He quietly said to himself:

"_What time is it?"_ He focused his eyes, looked over his shoulder at his alarm clock and noticed that it was _"6:00" in the morning_. He got out of bed and looked over the edge of his floor to see his father still sleeping peacefully on the sofa.

Steven looked around and noticed that the house was just as empty as it was yesterday. He quietly made his way down stairs, so as not to wake up his dad. He walked over to the temple door and began knocking on it. He said:

"_Garnet…Amethyst…Pearl? Is anybody there?" _

Steven heard no response. He held his head down, shrugged his shoulders and thought to himself.

"_They must not be back yet. What's taking them so long?"_

Steven quietly opened the front door and walked outside in his pajamas. He sat on the porch and began to sigh heavily.

After a few moments he tilted his head up to observe the tide, and just as he did so, "three figures" came out from the fog and began walking up the beach.

Steven jumped with joy and ran back inside to wake up his Greg.

"_Dad! They're here! The Gems are back!"_ he yelled.

Greg muffled as he woke up. He opened his eyes and said:

"_W-w-what Steven? What's going on?"_

Steven was excited and said to his father.

"_It's the gems! They're back!"_

Greg just slouched back on the couch, closed his eyes and said:

"_Good for them Steven…."_ before he passed out again.

Steven ran outside, down the stairs and towards the gems.

As Steven was running towards them, he could see the outline of each Gem; Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. But as Steven got closer his heart sank, he dropped to his knees and watched in horror.

The figures walking up to him were in fact the Gems, but they were the copies that Lapis had created during their battle.

Steven began sobbing as he saw Lapis's creations walk towards him. Lapis followed suit and was flying above. She looked down at Steven and said:

"_What's wrong Steven? Aren't you happy to see your family? THE CRYSTAL GEMS!?"_

Steven in his confusion and sadness, got up from his knees, ran towards them and attempted to hug the water figures. But before he could put his arms around them, they collapsed into a puddle of water.

Steven laid on the sand, in a fetal position and began sobbing uncontrollably. Lapis gently hovered down to the beach and began walking towards him. She crouched down beside him, put her hand on Stevens shoulder and said:

"_Awww…..don't cry Steven." _

"_Everything will be okay." _

For a moment Steven thought it was Pearl. But he was reminded who it was, once he opened his eyes and saw Lapis gazing back at him.

Steven sat up, wiped the tears from his eyes and quietly asked Lapis:

"_Where are they Lapis? What have you done with them?"_

Lapis smiled at Steven and replied:

"_They're close by…..How do you like my new necklace Steven?"_

"_Isn't it pretty?"_

Steven looked at Lapis's neck and noticed Garnet and Amethyst's gems. His eyes grew wide, and his draw dropped as he saw the gemstones. Lapis looked into his eyes and could see the fear and sadness that was inside of them.

Before Steven could respond to her, a voice called out to him and shouted:

"_Run Steven! Get out of Here! She's too dangerous!"_

Steven looked around and could not see anybody but just him and Lapis. Lapis got his attention and said:

"_Oh yeah…..I forgot to mention. Here's your mirror…"_

Lapis handed the mirror over to Steven. He looked down at the mirror and could see "Pearl" staring back at him from her prison.

He started crying as he buried his face into the mirror and softly asked:

"_Are you okay Pearl?"_

Pearls voice began to crack as she replied:

"_I'm fine Steven, I'm just worried about you! You're not hurt are you?"_

Steven continued crying and said:

"_I'm fine Pearl, why is she doing this?"_

Pearl was quiet and offered no response. Lapis chimed in and said:

"_They're fine Steven, if I had wanted to destroy them I would've done it already!"_

"_Yesterday, when you healed my gem, you called me your friend. Is that true? Am I your friend Steven?"_

Steven sat there and thought of his next words carefully. He uttered a response and said:

"_Of course. I meant what I said." _

Lapis looked at him and smiled, but then Steven asked her a question.

"_Am I your Friend?"_

Lapis responded and said:

"_Of course we're friends! How could you think otherwise!?"_

Steven sat there and stared at her. He was in shock and disbelief at how twisted her personality was. Lapis continued and said:

"_A real friend would show me hospitality and invite me into their home…."_

Steven and Lapis stood up and were staring eye level at each other. Steven looked into her eyes and said:

"_Fine…..let's go inside Lapis"_

Pearl protested and said, _"No Steven! Don't you bring her into our house! She's planning someth…."_

But before Pearl could finish her words, Lapis grabbed the mirror from Steven and punched out the glass. She handed it back to Steven and watched as he began to break down. He held the mirror close and yelled:

"_Pearl! How could you Lapis! Why'd you do that!?"_

Lapis responded: _"She's fine Steven, her Gem isn't cracked, besides you have healing powers, so I'm sure you can fix her broken face later….."_

Steven fell to his knees again and was crying. Lapis just stood there quietly and said:

"_Well…..I'm waiting…..lets go Steven!"_

Steven looked up at her. He rose to his feet and started walking side by side next to Lapis, as the two headed towards the beach house.

Before opening the door Steven quietly told her:

"_My dad's in here, he's sleeping…please don't hurt him."_

Lapis responded by saying:

"_Is your dad a crystal gem?"_

Steven replied, _"No"._

Lapis said, _"Then he's fine…"_

Steven sighed heavily. He paused for a moment and opened the door….


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: I knew I was right about your friends!**

Greg leaned up and turned his head towards the door, he watched as the doorknob began moving. He watched as the door opened and saw "two" figures walk in. His eyes hadn't registered who they were, but as they began to walk towards him he said:

"_Hey Steven, good morn….WHAAAA!"_

Greg screamed as he fell off the couch, and clumsily tried to get to his feet. He watched in terror as he began to back himself against the wall and nervously asked Steven:

"_What's she doing here!?...Where are the gems!?" _

Steven held his head down and offered no response, but Lapis answered for him:

"_Go back to sleep…..you have nothing to fear….."_

Greg looked at her with a bewildered look in his eyes, and tried to figure out what she was doing in the house. Steven ran to his father and jumped into his arms, and immediately he noticed that his son was crying. Greg stood there in silence, holding Steven, as he watched Lapis Lazuli attempt to open the gem door. Somehow she knew which "Gems" would give her access to what she was seeking….

She quietly whispered to herself:

"_Hmmm…I think it's you Garnet. You seem like you're the leader…"_

She then put her hands on her chest and pulled off the necklace that contained Garnet's gemstones. She held both gemstones to the door and watched as the corresponding gems in the door lite up. She smiled as Garnets door opened, but just as it did, she turned her attention towards Steven and said:

"_Come on Steven. We're almost done. We have to finish this"_

But before Steven could answer, Greg jumped into the conversation and said:

"_No Way!...You do whatever you have to do lady, but my kid is staying right here!"_

Lapis glared at Greg and quietly said:

"_I thought I told you to go back to sleep! I promised Steven that I wouldn't hurt you, but you're making it hard for me to keep that promise….!"_

Steven jumped out of his father's arms and cried:

"_No!...I'm coming Lapis! Please!"_

As Steven headed towards her, Greg shouted at his son:

"_Steven! What are you doing!?"_

Steven turned to his father and said:

"_I have to go with her, If I don't she's going to hurt you dad! She already hurt the gems!"_

With his last statement, Steven's eyes were watery and his body was filled with tremors as he made his way towards her.

Lapis looked at Steven and said, _"I'm not going to hurt anyone Steven. If you pay attention, you might learn a valuable lesson here…."_

Greg's mouth dropped as he watched her put her arms around Steven and smile. She looked at Greg and said:

"_Don't worry, we'll only be a minute. Steven will be fine."_

Greg couldn't respond, so he just nodded his head at her. She said:

"_Go back to sleep please…your son and I will be back in a moment….."_

Greg watched as Lapis and Steven entered Garnets room, and as the door shut behind them. He ran towards the door and began frantically pounding on it…

**Inside Garnets room**

Lapis and Steven were now in Garnets room. She walked towards the center of the room, observing the lava pit, and took in her surroundings. The only thing Steven had in his hands was the mirror, and he began to hold it closely.

She stood in the middle of the room and began to slowly look up towards the walls and the ceiling. Steven noticed that both of her hands were at her sides and they began slowly clinching into "fists". She began to breathe heavily and her aqua wings emerged from her gem. Steven stood there nervously, as she started to talk:

"_I was right about your friends Steven….,"_ she whispered, but then turned to face him and screamed:

"_THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYBODY BUT THEMSELVES!"_

Steven looked up nervously. He could tell that she was angry about the dozens of gemstones that they had retrieved on numerous missions. He responded by saying:

"_You don't understand! We put them here because they were corrupt! We had no way of reasoning with them, they became monsters! We kept them here until we could find a way to help them!"_

Lapis stared at Steven with rage in her eyes and said:

"_I doesn't matter Steven! THESE GEMS MADE A CHOICE! They did things during their lifetime that made them this way! NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE AWAY THEIR FREEDOM!"_

"_You think that by imprisoning them, that you were somehow helping them!?"_

Steven didn't know what to say. He just looked down at the ground, as tears began to drop from his face, landing on the floor. He looked back at Lapis and muffled:

"_W-w-were sorry!...we just wanted to help!"_

Lapis calmed herself down. She closed her eyes and said:

"_Steven…..I want you to listen carefully. It may be the most important thing that you hear in your lifetime."_

Steven stared at her and waited nervously for what she was about to say.

"_You can't keep doing this to other gems Steven! I'm telling you this because you're young and you may have been misguided."_

"_There's still a chance for you to learn…."_

Steven heard her words and walked over to her. He embraced Lapis and quietly whispered to her:

"_I'm sorry Lapis..."_

She replied:

"_I'm sorry too Steven, because it pains me for what I have to do next….Your friends don't appreciate choice and the beauty of freedom…..they need to know that they can't continue to behave this way."_

"_I'm not going to punish all of your friends, or you. I'm just going to punish one in particular…."_

"_And if she's strong enough, she'll get through it…."_

Steven looked at her and immediately began sobbing at the thought of what she was about to do. She walked over to him, she placed Garnet and Amethyst gemstones in his hands, and quietly said:

"_Give me the mirror Steven…..please…."_

Steven's mouth dropped at her request, as he held the mirror close and began screaming.

"_No! You can't take her! She's already broken! Please just leave us alone!"_

Once again Lapis looked at him and demanded:

"_Give me the mirror Steven…..NOW!"_

Steven cried and asked:

"_Why her!? Why are choosing to just punish her!?"_

Lapis responded and said:

"_She was the one who gave ME to you! She was the one who kept me in my prison, she could have set me free a long time ago!"_

"_You gave me my freedom Steven, and for that I'm eternally grateful!"_

"_But your friend needs to be punished for what she's done to me, and any other gem that has crossed her path…."_

Steven, at that moment, began to reflect on his life with the gems. He thought of all the fun times and sad times that he had with them. However, he held one special place in his heart for "Pearl", the one that he loved dearly. It was Pearl who made sure that he was protected on every mission and every outing that they went on. It was Pearl who made sure that he had everything he needed; food, shelter and clean clothes. It was also Pearl who he had watched suffer an injury, and retreat into her gem. He recalls those two weeks without her, how they were the loneliest weeks that he had ever experienced.

And now, he was faced with the possibility that she may be leaving again. Only this time it may be permanent…..

Steven, in his emotions, lunged towards Lapis. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pleaded with her:

"_Please don't do this!...don't take her from me! She's like a mother to me! I love her too much!"_

Lapis looked down at Steven and said:

"_I know how much she cares about you, she made that clear at the beach, right before I imprisoned her…."_

"_But understand something Steven, this is how it needs to happen, in order to correct the wrongs that have been done…."_

"_If she's strong and has the will to survive, she'll do it. But if it's her time, then we'll know that too."_

"_I'm not unfair Steven….everything that I do is with a purpose."_

"_I'm trying to teach you something, and I hope that you'll look past your anger to listen…"_

Steven heard her words and became numb. His body felt limp as she took his arms and released herself from his embrace. She then took the mirror from his grip, and with a few jerks, she took it out of his hand. All Steven did was stand there, and appeared as though he was catatonic or in a state of shock.

Lapis turned the mirror over, placed her hand on Pearls gemstone and proceeded to yank it out. The entire mirror shattered, as pieces began falling to the floor. Lapis had Pearls gemstone in her hand and as it became bright, the gemstone left her palm and gently glided into the air. The outline of Pearls body formed, and as she fell to the ground, she began gasping for air.

Steven saw her, he immediately ran over to Pearl and embraced her. She had cuts and bruises all over her body, and her face looked like it had been cut by a razor blade several times over. She opened her eyes to observe Steven. He cried when he was staring back into her eyes, as he could tell that one of her pupils was dilated. He quietly asked Pearl:

"_Are you okay Pearl?"_

Pearl smiled back at him and said:

"_I'm better…..now that you're here Steven…."_

Steven held her and quietly whispered:

"_Did you hear what Lapis said? Do you understand what she wants? I'm worried that she's going to take you from me Pearl! I don't want that to happen!"_

Pearl pulled herself to her feet and stared at Lapis. She held Steven close and said:

"_I know exactly what she said, and I'm not planning on leaving you again Steven."_

Lapis just looked at Pearl and said:

"_Do you understand why I'm doing this?"_

Pearl nodded her head at Lapis and said:

"_Yes, I think I'm beginning to understand…"_

Lapis folded her arms across her chest and said softly:

"_I want you to know that I would never hurt Steven. I'm telling you this because you made the choice not to attack me. You accepted your fate, and all the while you never lost sight of what was dear to you…."_

Pearl cried and said to her in a broken voice:

"_He's all that matters to me! A life without Steven would be a prison sentence in and of its own…"_

"_I understand now why you have to do this."_

"_If its within your power and you're merciful, please let me return to him?"_

Lapis was silent as she stared at the ground and quietly thought to herself. She finally said:

"_I'm not going to influence anything. You are in charge of your own fate. What's important to me now, is that Steven needs to learn that there's another way…."_

"_Another way than what you, and the rest of the crystal gems, have been teaching _him…"

Lapis finally asked Pearl, _"Are you ready to begin?"_

Pearl wiped the tears from her eyes and said, _"Yes, I'm ready."_

Lapis responded, _"Alright, come on Steven. We're going…."_

Lapis, in an instant, grabbed Steven and summoned the ocean, as it came up from underneath their feet. The Lava pit, which stood in the middle of the room, was now completely extinguished as a burst of water came up from underneath. The room was feeling up quickly, as Pearl shouted at Lapis:

"_What are you doing!? I thought you were just punishing me!? Let Steven go!"_

Lapis had Steven wrapped in her arms, when she faced Pearl and said:

"_I am just punishing you, Steven and I are leaving…."_

Lapis pointed her hand towards the ceiling and said:

"_That's your punishment….."_

Pearl turned her attention to the ceiling, and noticed right away that "every gemstone" that they had bubbled, now began to pop and fall to the ground…..

Pearls heart sank as she watched in terror, how every gem began to "glow bright," and how all the creatures that they had contained, began slowly reappearing. Garnets room, which was now almost completely pitch black because of the water, began to fill with the groans and howls of demented gem beings. Pearl summoned her spear, she stood there with the feel of the ocean rising up her legs, and managed to catch a glimpse of Lapis.

Pearl looked at Steven and smiled. She said softly:

"_It's going to be okay Steven."_

Steven, who was now bubbled in one of Lapis protective barriers, began to submerge underneath the water with her. Steven let out a cry and said:

"_Wait! Pearl!"…._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: A Lesson.**

Lapis and Steven emerged from the tide, and were now far away from Beach City. She held him in her arms while she was flying, and began searching the ocean for the nearest island. Eventually they came upon a small piece of land that looked like it had been deserted for years. As she was gliding towards the island, Steven became aggressive; he started kicking and screaming, and demanded that she put him down. She released him from her grasp, and watched as he slowly walked out of the tide, and onto dry land. As soon as Steven could feel dry sand underneath his feet, he dropped to his knees and said in a broken voice:

"_You've taken everything from me Lapis…..What more do you want?"_

There was silence, as she slowly walked up to Steven and sat down beside him. Her aqua wings disappeared into her gem, as she dug her feet deep into the sand. She leaned in close to her legs, she buried her face and arms into her knees and began to sigh heavily. She lifted up her head to face Steven, and started to say:

"_I'm sorry Steven…I really am,'_ she said in a calm voice. Steven lifted up his head, focusing his attention on her words.

"_Please understand that I didn't do this without just cause."_

"_I brought you with me for a reason."_

Steven sat there, staring at her and tried to understand her words. He was filled with heartache and anger as he began to respond:

"_What reason!...So you could torture me some more!?"_

"_So you could remind me of everything that I lost!?"_

Lapis remained calm and said in a subtle tone:

"_No Steven…that's not my intent, and you haven't lost anything."_

"_You have two of your friend's gemstones. They're going to regenerate and I'll be long gone from this planet by the time they do."_

"_I brought you here Steven because I wanted to share something with you…..,"_ but before she could finish her last statement, Steven cut her off and said:

"_I have nothing to say to you Lapis! And I don't care what you have to say either!"_

Lapis stared at him with a look of amusement on her face. She smiled and said:

"_Alright Steven, go ahead, I'm listening….."_

Steven folded his arms, he glared at her angrily and said:

"_I'm not listening to anything you have to say unless you promise me that SHE's going to be okay!"_

Lapis looked at him confused. She tried to figure out who he was talking about and asked:

"_She…. who?"_

Steven shouted at the top of his lungs:

"_PEARL!...Who else would I be talking about!?_

Lapis smiled and paused for a moment. She gathered her thoughts and said:

"_I think your friend Pearl is going to be just fine."_

"_Please understand why I had to do that Steven."_

"_The crystal gems have been acting in such a way, that I find very …disturbing…"_

Steven looked at her and asked:

"_What do you mean by that?"_

She responded:

"_Steven, I want to ask you something…."_

"_And I want you to give me an honest answer…_"

Steven looked at her, with his eyes still angry, and said:

"_Fine….go ahead Lapis."_

She asked him:

"_When you went on those missions with the crystal gems. Every time that you went, was it your sole purpose to capture these "beings" or creatures as you put it?"_

Steven sat there with his arms folded and thought for a minute, but he finally said:

"_Well….yes! I was told that we have to retrieve them because they were corrupt. Then we would find a way to help them later."_

Lapis sat there listening to him, and proceeded to ask another question:

"_When you encountered these "corrupt" gems Steven, were they actually hurting somebody?"_

Steven once again searched his thoughts and then said:

"_Well….Not exactly. But we had to protect Beach City from the corrupt Gems that came and caused destruction."_

Lapis nodded her head as she listened to him and said:

"_That's what I've been trying to get you to understand Steven! It's okay to protect one's home and one's self when danger is near. But your friends actively search out other gems and imprison them."_

Steven heard her words then asked:

"_But aren't they all corrupt? Every time we go on a mission, they're always attacking us and trying to kill."_

Lapis sighed in her frustration and said:

"_They're only attacking you because they feel threatened!"_

"_You and your friends are willingly going to other worlds and taking them by force!"_

"_I told you Steven, those gems that are corrupt have done things throughout the course of their lifetime that made them that way!"_

"_Every single one of those gemstones, that your friends have in the temple, used to be just like you and me. They were beings with emotions, thoughts, free will, etc."_

Steven listened to her final statement and began to question everything that he knew from that point on. He thought to himself, _"what if she's right? Why do we go to other worlds and pursue these gems? If they're not hurting anyone, or wreaking havoc, why is it necessary to imprison them?"_

Steven was lost in his thoughts when Lapis chimed in and said:

"_That's why I brought you out here Steven, you showed me compassion by freeing me. You're different from your friends. You may be young, but you are far wiser than any of them."_

Steven looked at her and smiled when he heard her statement. He was quiet but then he proceeded to ask her:

"_Can we please go back? Can you please give me a chance to make things right?"_

Lapis was quiet but then said:

"_I don't know Steven, your friends may not have the same ideas as you and I."_

Steven stared at her, with tears coming down his face and said:

"_My dad is still there, and you promised you wouldn't hurt him! Are you planning on changing your mind? _

Lapis responded and said:

"_No Steven…I would never hurt an innocent person."_

He replied:

"_Then can we go back? I want to see my dad and I miss Pearl!"_

Lapis responded:

"_If I take you back, then you have to do something for me…."_

Steven's eyes grew wide when he heard her statement, and asked:

"_What is it Lapis?"_

She said:

"_I'm not telling you right now, but you have to agree to it…."_

"_That's all you need to know for now…"_

Steven thought to himself:

"_This is not much of a choice."_

He agreed to whatever she wanted. But in the back of his mind, he feared what she might have in store for him. Just before they left she said:

"_Trust me, you'll thank me one day, if we ever meet again. You'll remember this for the rest of your life."_

Steven's eyes began to space out, as he struggled to figure out what she was talking about. As the two headed towards the tide, her aqua wings reappeared. She grabbed Steven and leaped into the air. In an instant, the two were flying above the sea, heading back in the direction of the temple.

As they were flying, Steven felt secure. He felt warm feelings from her and for a moment he thought to himself:

"_Maybe she really is my friend…"_

**Back at the Temple, outside Garnets room**

Greg sank to his knees, as he continued pounding on the door for what seemed like hours. He began to cry and said to himself:

"_Why didn't I stop them! Rose, I just lost our son…"_

Greg wiped the tears from his eyes. He looked down at the ground and noticed "water" coming from underneath the gems door. As he was staring down at the water, he began to hear loud "groans and howls" coming from the other side of the door, followed by intense pounding and loud bangs.

Greg got to his feet quickly. He stood back and stared at the door. Again he heard a loud crash against the door, only this time he began to notice a few "dents." Greg backed up even further and asked himself:

"_What the hell is going on in there!?"_

Greg didn't wait for a response or any other sounds. He turned quickly and ran towards the front door. He said to himself:

"_I need to get Lion, that's the only way I can help Steven…"_

Greg ran outside, and before he could do anything, Lion was there an instant. It was as though Lion could sense trouble, so he ran past Greg, heading straight inside the house, towards the door….

**Inside Garnets Room**

Pearl's adrenaline was now pumping. She failed to notice the sting of the saltwater rising up against the wounds on her legs, as she was now waist deep in the water. She took in her surroundings, paying close attention the monstrosities that were now in her presence. All she could do was crouch, and move slowly out of site, in order to formulate a plan.

She eventually made it to a dark corner in the room, and with her head just above water, she started to think quickly. She calmed herself down, as she could see that none of the demented gem creatures took notice of her yet. She struggled to hold it together as she could see them attacking each other, and with the sounds that followed, it almost broke her spirit. She took in a deep breathe, submerged herself underwater, and after focusing her eyes, noticed that the room was almost halfway filled with ocean water.

As she focused her sight, her eyes grew wide with excitement as she looked down and could see the door in Garnets room, which led back to the house. But just as quickly, her mood and anticipation of an escape changed, as she could see a creature lurking in the shadows. Her heart sank as she saw a massive "Salt Water Crocodile" lurking near the door. She observed as the creature still had rows of razor sharp teeth, diamonds encrusted all along its back, and Topaz colored eyes. She recalls coming across this creature on one of her missions. She remembers how it nearly killed her before "Rose", her companion and mentor, saved her.

Pearl kept her composure and gently floated to the surface, she made sure to keep her eyes on the crocodile. Before her eyes broke the water, she watched in horror as the crocodile lunged up towards the surface and pulled one of the other creatures down. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, she noticed that the room was now almost completely submerged in water. She could hear the splashes and groans of the creatures fighting each other, but she paid no attention. She kept her body completely still and began to meditate. In the corner of her eye, she looked up towards the ceiling and thought to herself:

"_If I can just get to Amethyst's room, maybe I can survive this."_

"_Maybe I can see Steven again…"_

With her last thought, Pearl began to cry as tears fell from her face, into the water…..

**Arrival at the Temple**

Steven and Lapis landed on the beach, she set him down and he began running towards the beach house. He ran up the steps, opened the front door and saw his father standing there next to lion.

"_Steven!...How did you?"_

"_Weren't you just inside!?_ Greg shouted as he ran and embraced Steven. Greg held Steven close with tears in his eyes and said:

"_I thought you were gone…"_

Steven hugged his father and said:

"_I'm fine dad!"_

"_But we need to save Pearl!"_

Greg looked at Steven and said:

"_Pearl's in there!? _

Steven nodded his head, but before they could do anything, Lapis stood in the doorway. Lion let out a roar as he began ferociously charging towards her. Steven jumped from his father's arms, he ran in front of Lapis, he put his arms up and shouted at Lion:

"_No!... She's here to help!... Stop Lion, Stop!"_

Lion stopped dead in his tracks and was looking down at Steven. He tilted his head up a little to observe Lapis. He then proceeded to growl at her and show his fangs. All Lapis did was smile, as she walked past them towards the door.

"_Are you gonna save Pearl!?...Please tell me you're going to help her!"_ Steven said to Lapis in a pleading tone.

Lapis turned around to face him and said:

"_I'm going to give her a fighting chance Steven."_

"_I'm not going to save her, she has to do that herself."_

She turned back to face the door and began to concentrate. Greg looked down as the water that was flooding from underneath the door, began to stop….

Steven saw this and ran towards the door, but before he could get any closer, Lapis put her palm on his chest and stopped him. She said:

"_This is her punishment Steven."_

"_It's hers and hers alone."_

"_If I let you go, I'm going to have to save you and destroy everything in sight…."_

"_I can't allow that and I refuse to do that. Do you understand me?"_

Steven's eyes began to water, as he answered her,

"_Yes Lapis! I understand! I just want Pearl Back!"_

**Garnets Room**

Pearl quietly whispered to herself:

"_You can do it….. you're almost there…..just a few more feet."_

As she was reaching up towards the entrance to Amethyst's room, her reach became lower and lower. Pearl looked down towards the water and could see that the pit, which sat in the middle of the room, was now starting to drain. Pearl became nervous as she could see the water start to disappear, and Garnets room was slightly illuminated. Eventually Pearls feet touched solid ground and lava came back to the pit, which restored the room to its bright color.

Pearl looked around for any place that she could hide, but the shadows were scarce as the room was now completely normal. Pearl ran and backed herself into a corner and watched in horror as the gem creatures continued to attack each other.

She thought of plan and came up with something that may have been too risky. She thought her plan would ultimately save her or at least give her enough time to make it to Garnets door. She summoned another spear from her gem and quietly said to herself:

"Okay Pearl….Here goes nothing…."

Pearl stood there, as her gem began to glow bright, and projected a "hologram." She waited anxiously as the hologram began to appear. Pearl sighed heavily as she cut the light from her gem with her spear, and watched as the hologram stood there in silence.

Holo Pearl: DO YOU WISH TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT?

Several of the gem creatures seized fighting, as they turned their attention towards the loud voice…

Pearl watched nervously as the creatures drew near, she quickly gave a command and said:

"_Yes!...Initiate advanced training mode!"_

She tossed one of the spears towards the hologram and gave one final command:

"_Everything is now a target!"_

"_Do not stop until all combatants are neutralized!"_

Pearl didn't wait for a response as she was now running full speed to avoid the creatures. But as she was running, she heard the holograms voice:

_**Holo Pearl: INITIATING ADVANCED TRAINING MODE. COMENCING DUEL. 30 COMBATANTS DETECTED. OPENING DETECTED. **_

Pearl stopped dead in her tracks at the last part of the response. She observed her surroundings and watched frantically for the hologram. Just as she had time to react, she looked up and saw Holo Pearl coming down at her with the spear drawn. Pearl was able to block the attack, and with all her strength she pushed the hologram in the direction of the creatures. Her plan had worked as the hologram began attacking them.

She could hear the sounds of the spear clanking against the tough hides of the creatures. She let out a sigh of relief as she could hear the holograms responses:

_**Holo Pearl: 29 COMBATANTS REMAINING. 28 COMBATANTS REMAINING. 27 COMBATANTS REMAINING…..etc.**_

Pearl gathered her strength and began fighting alongside the hologram. Her heart began pounding as she could see the "salt water crocodile" chasing after her. She was running as fast as she could, and even though the gem encrusted creature was no longer in water, it still moved fast and was able to inflict severe damage with its tail.

She ran in the direction of Holo Pearl, with the creature following close behind.

_**Holo Pearl: OPENING DETECTED**_.

Pearl ducked just in time, so as not catch the blade of the spear that the hologram threw at her. The hologram turned its attention towards the creature, it leaped into the air, and dove down upon its head with the spear.

_**Holo Pearl: OPENING NEUTRALIZED. 18 COMBATANTS REMAINING.**_

The crocodile let out a scream as the blade was driven down into its skull. In a blast of smoke, the creature disappeared and all that remained were "two topaz gemstones."

Pearl sighed in relief as the toughest of the creatures was now gone. She quietly said to herself:

"_I'm coming Steven."_

And she continued to fight.

**Outside Garnets Room**

Steven heard the sound of Pearls spear hit the door. He also heard the sounds of the creatures screaming and whaling in pain. He pleaded with Lapis and said:

"_Can we please let her out? She's been through enough already! Pearl doesn't like to inflict pain on anyone, she just likes to protect people!" _

Lapis responded and said:

"_You mean like how she protected me?"_

"_How she kept me in that mirror with a cracked gem!"_

"_Steven, if she wants to come out, all she has to do is open the door."_

On the other side of Garnets door, Pearl saw an opportunity. She lunged towards it and was able to break free of the creatures. She opened the door and saw Steven staring back at her. Her heart began to melt, tears came flowing from eyes as she ran towards him for an embrace. She scooped him up and began holding him as Steven cried out:

"_I thought I'd never see you again Pearl!"_

"_I missed you so much!"_

Pearl continued to hug him and said:

"_It's okay Steven, I'm here!"_

"_I'm never going to leave you again!"_

Lapis watched as the two embraced and were sobbing in each other's arms. She looked inside the room and noticed that every gemstone was now on the floor and didn't appear to be glowing. She then proceeded to walk into Garnets room and began to concentrate. As she was doing so she gathered any water molecules that were still left in the room. Lapis stood there, with her arms stretched out and her palms facing the ceiling, and started to create a massive "water bubble." She gathered the gemstones and began placing each one in the bubble before exiting Garnets rooms.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lapis saw Holo Pearl charging at her with the spear. She smiled as she summoned her own magic, and watched as water molecules still left on the floor began to form into massive "hands". The newly formed water hands reached out and grabbed Holo Pearl, and proceeded to rip the hologram apart, as Lapis exited the room.

She walked past Steven and said:

"_Let's go Steven, you made me promise…"_

"_I'm going to show you something truly great!"_

Pearl protested and said:

"_You're not taking him anywhere! Enough of this madness!"_

Lapis smiled and said to her:

"_He's coming with me, he and I had a deal…."_

Steven looked up at Pearl and said:

"_She's right Pearl, I promised that I would go with her. I'm sorry but I have to leave. I don't want anything else to happen!"_

Pearl became upset, she held him tighter and said:

"_Steven don't! I won't allow it! You don't know what she's planning or what she's capable of!"_

Lapis once again faced Pearl and said:

"_Do I need to remind you that I said I would never hurt him?"_

"_He's coming with me and I'm going to show him something important."_

Lapis pointed at the gemstones in the water bubble that she created, and said to Pearl in a stern voice:

"_He's going to learn how to treat other gems with respect, and how to live amongst them!"_

"_Something you, and the rest of the crystal gems, have failed at teaching him!"_

"_He and I are leaving this planet, and he's coming back when I say he can!"_

With that information, Pearl was ready to attack. She summoned her spear and prepared to strike Lapis. But before she could do anything, Steven stepped in front of her….

He said, _"No Pearl! Stop!...I want to go with her!"_

Pearl looked at Steven, and had a hurt look in her eyes. She felt like he had just ripped her heart out, and her eyes began to water. Her body began to shake, as she said in a broken voice:

"_Steven?!...why are you taking her side?"_

Steven finally said what he was feeling, _"What if she's right Pearl?"_

"_What if we're wrong? What if there's another way to deal with corrupt gems?"_

"_I want to know, and I've never been off this planet before."_

Pearl was stunned as she heard the words that came out of Stevens mouth. She turned her attention to Lapis once more and could feel her anger and rage brew inside of her. She knew that Lapis was very powerful and could have easily destroyed her, but in that moment she didn't care. She shouted directly at Lapis's face and said:

"_This is all your fault!...you turned him against me!...If you think I'm going to let you walk out of here with him, you're sadly mistaken!"_

Lapis didn't back down as she got right in Pearls face and said:

"_You can either watch us leave, and be secure with the knowledge that I'll take care of him. Or you can spend the next few weeks in your Gem, just like your other two friends, Garnet and Amethyst….and I may or may not decide to bring him back!"_

"_Either way, Steven and I are leaving. We're going to return these gems to their proper home worlds, and then he's coming with me to my planet….."_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Revelation

Lapis and Steven both walked onto the warp pad, with the gemstones in their possession. _"Are you ready to go Steven?"_ Lapis asked as she looked over at him. _"Yes, I'm ready Lapis."_ Steven replied as he was now wearing his regular clothes, he had on his cheeseburger backpack, and looked as if he was prepared for a long trip. She smiled at him and asked, _"What's with the backpack?"_ Steven replied, _"It's my lucky bag, I bring it with me whenever we go on tough missions. It comes in handy sometimes, just ask Pearl." _

Lapis turned her attention to Pearl, who was standing in the middle of the room with Greg and Lion by her side. Lapis looked at Pearl, and said in a quiet but stern voice, _"Well Steven, we're not going on any missions, not anymore…."_ Steven looked at her confused and asked, _"then what are we doing?"_ She responded, _"We're returning these gemstones to their home world, then we're leaving. We're not on a mission to retrieve or take anything. I don't think this qualifies as a mission."_ Steven responded, _"Okay, I guess so Lapis."_ She looked at him once more and said, _"just please don't refer to it as a mission. Call it a quest, a journey, a destination, or whatever you'd like; just not a mission."_

Steven looked at her and could tell that she was uncomfortable with the whole notion or concept of a mission, what it entailed. Steven said to her, _"Okay Lapis, I understand. I'm sorry."_ She smiled, then replied, _"Thank you Steven."_ Just before they were about to beam off, Pearl shouted and said, _"Wait! Steven! Don't Go!" _But Lapis quickly cut her off and said, _"The longer we wait, the longer it's going to take for me to bring him back to you." _Steven shouted at Pearl from the warp pad and said, _"Don't worry Pearl, I'll be fine. I'll be back soon. Just stay here and watch over my dad."_

Pearl looked over at Greg and watched as he tried to force himself to smile. Pearl's eyes began to tear, as she had a look of disgust on her face, and was uncomfortable with the whole concept of spending time with Greg. She turned her attention back towards Lapis and pleaded with her. _"Please don't take him! Give me a chance to explain everything so he doesn't need to go! We waited too long, we should have talked to him a lot sooner!" _Lapis just stared back at Pearl, with her arms folded, and said, _"Yeah, you guys definitely waited too long. But something tells me you never intended to tell him anything. Also, to answer your questions, the answer is NO. You no longer have the option, I'm taking control. That's the purpose of our little trip."_

Pearls heart sank as she heard Lapis's statements. She dropped to her knees, she looked up towards Steven and said, _"Whatever happens Steven, whatever she tells you, please don't hate us for it!" _Steven's mouth dropped as he heard Pearls words. He ran off the warp pad, and ran to her. Lapis just sighed as she watched, but remained patient with Steven. Pearl was now eye level with Steven, as she was on her knees. Steven looked back towards Lapis and asked, _"do I even want to know what she's talking about?" _Lapis responded, _"Nope, not right now. That's why I'm here and that's why we're leaving. Now hurry up and say your goodbye's Steven."_

Steven looked back into Pearl's eyes and could tell that she was broken. He observed her body, how it was badly bruised, and how her face had multiple lacerations. Steven spat into his hands, he rubbed his palms together, then placed his hands on Pearls face. He watched as tears came streaming down her eyes, and her face began to heal. He did this several times over with different parts of her body, until she was completely healed. The last thing Steven touched was Pearls hands. He watched as the blood stains and scars began to disappear.

Lapis allowed them to have their time together, but she began to grow impatient and said, _"Can we please go now Steven? I'm sure she's going to be fine."_ Steven nodded his head at Lapis, but before he could head back to the warp pad, Pearl grabbed him. _"Please come back to me Steven! Garnet and Amethyst would want you back as well! Don't stay away from us!"_ With that reminder, Steven reached into his pocket and pulled out Garnet and Amethyst's gemstones. He handed them over to Pearl and said, _"Tell them where I'm at when they regenerate. Let them know that I'm with Lapis and she means no harm."_

Pearl looked down at the gemstones that were placed in her hands and said, _"I will Steven, but I don't think they're going to be mad at Lapis anymore…."_ Steven hugged her once more and said, _"Bye Pearl, I'll be back."_ He walked over to his father and said, _"Bye dad, take care of Pearl and Lion. They get lonely without someone near."_ Greg wiped the tears from his eyes and said to his son, _"Are you sure you know what you're doing Steven?"_ Steven looked at Greg and said, _"I'll be fine dad, I'm feeling good about this. She said she would take care of me and I trust her."_ Lapis overheard the two of them talking and said, _"Would you like to bring your father along Steven?" _

Greg's eyes grew wide as heard her question, and he responded for himself. _"No, it's okay. I think it's best if I stay here. I don't think it's my place to tag along on gem business, or anything that has to do with magic. Believe me I've learned my lesson…"_ Lapis smiled and said, _"sorry about your van."_ Greg laughed it off and said, _"its okay, I'm pretty sure its still out there, somewhere…"_ Lapis responded, _"Well, okay. Then if there's nothing else, let's go Steven."_ Steven jumped back onto the warp pad and waved goodbye, as he and Lapis were now leaving. But before they left, Lapis faced Pearl once more and said, _"If you follow us, or if I see you turn up in one of the other realms, Steven's not coming back. I'll raise him, I'll be his mom and dad from here on out."_ In an instant, there was a flash of light that beamed down onto the warp pad, and the two were gone.

Greg looked down at the floor and saw Pearl now curled up in a fetal position, crying hysterically. He rubbed the back of his head and tried to figure out how he would help her. Greg quietly said to himself, _"Okay, I know she doesn't like to be touched or grabbed, at least by me anyway. But what can I do?"_ He stood over her and quietly asked, _"Uh Pearl, are you going to be okay?"_ Pearl looked up at him and almost immediately she leaped off the floor, into his arms. Greg stood there in shock, as he was holding Pearl, and watched as she was continuing to sob uncontrollably. He frantically asked, _"What is it!? What do you want me to do!?"_

Greg looked around and didn't know what to do. So he did the only thing he could think of, as he walked up the stairs and placed Pearl in Steven's bed. He saw that she still had the gemstones clinched in her hands, as he reached over to try and retrieve them. _"Pearl, it's going to be okay. You can let them go now."_ Greg said to her in a soft tone. Pearl stared back at him, with her eyes still swollen, but began to breathe steady. _"That's it, you're doing fine,"_ he said to her, as she slowly released her grip. Greg took the gemstones from her palms and placed them on the pillow next to her. He watched as Pearl buried her face into the other pillow and began screaming.

Greg, once again was lost as he tried to figure out how he should help her. He walked down stairs, all the while he could still hear Pearl whaling in the background, and started looking for his son's guitar. When he found it, he saw that it was lying next to the sofa, so he grabbed it then headed back up stairs. He sat down next to Pearl and began playing to calm her down. She became silent, she turned her body over to look at him and quietly said, "thank you!" Greg responded, without thinking of his words, and said, _"No problem Pearl, I used to serenade Rose with my awesome guitar playing skills. In fact she referred to me as the Sultan of Smooth!" _Pearl rolled her eyes, than turned her head back into the pillow and let out a heavy sigh. Greg had tears in his eyes as he looked up at Rose's painting above the doorway and said, _"I wish you were here Rose…Please protect our son"_

**Another Realm:**

A beam of light came down upon the warp pad, Lapis and Steven were now standing there, and both stepped off onto the ground. Steven observed his surroundings and quickly said, _"Where are we? Why is everything so green?"_ He observed the floor and surrounding walls. He saw that the walls were made entirely out of green crystals, and that the flour appeared to be transparent, as he could see clouds underneath his feet. He was waiting for a response from her but she gave none. Then Steven asked, _"Are you mad at me Lapis?"_

Lapis reached into the water bubble to retrieve a gemstone, and quietly said_, "No Steven, I'm not mad at you." _Then Steven replied, _"That's good, because I thought I did something wrong."_ Lapis observed the gemstone that she was now holding in both of her hands and said, _"You never did anything wrong Steven, you were just mislead." _There was silence between them, then Lapis took a deep breath as she held the gemstone close and said, _"Please forgive them my friend, for they know not what they do." _Steven watched in awe as the gemstone left Lapis's hands, and was now floating in the air. It began to glow bright and Steven said to Lapis, _"Hey I know who that is, it's centipeetle!"_

Lapis cringed when she heard Stevens words. She glared over at him and said, "_Centipeetle? That's what you've been calling her!?" _Steven got nervous and said, _"Well that's what the gems called it, or her. It wasn't my idea, I swear!"_ Lapis just stared at him and said, _"Well it doesn't surprise me, like I said you were misguided." _The two stood there and watched as the outline of the gemstones body began to form. Lapis picked up Steven, she held him in the air and said in a stern voice, _"Look at her Steven! This is why I brought you here! Look at her body!"_ Steven's heart was pounding, as he could feel Lapis's grip underneath his armpits. He focused his eyes, his mouth began to drop as he watched the outline of a "female's" body begin to appear.

Lapis set him down, and the two watched as the glowing body began kneeling. But no sooner when the body began kneeling, it began to change once more. Steven watched as the figure grew bright and slowly changed into the creature known as "centipeetle." The newly formed creature stared back at Steven and Lapis, and began screaming. Its jaws were wide, it began to drool and the pinchers on the back of its tail began to rise into the air. Lapis shoved Steven behind her and waited for the creature to attack. But before anything could happen, the creature retreated and ran off into the distance. Steven peered over Lapis's shoulder with tears in his eyes, and quietly said, _"No…centipeetle!...comeback!"_ Lapis in her frustration turned around and said, _"Her name isn't centipeetle! Stop calling her that!" _Steven's eyes were glossy as he looked up at Lapis and said, _"then what do you want me to call her?"_ Lapis responded, _"Its Jadeite, that's her name. Don't call her anything else but that. And this is her home."_

Lapis wiped the tears from Stevens eyes and said, "_Sit down Steven, we need to talk."_ He listened to her, as he sat down with his legs crossed and began to open his cheeseburger backpack. He watched as Lapis sat down next to him, and she waited for him to get comfortable. Steven pulled out a donut from his backpack and asked, _"are you hungry Lapis? I have donuts if you want one?"_ She sat there quietly and said, _"No thanks Steven, I'm fine."_ Steven smiled at her and said, _"you're just like Pearl, she doesn't like to eat anything either."_ Lapis let out a gag and said, _"I'm nothing like that gem! She wishes she could be me." _Steven stared at her and said, _"what is it with you guys? Why do you hate each other so much?"_ Lapis responded sarcastically and said, _"Well Steven, aside from the fact that she kept me imprisoned in a mirror, I just don't like her. She's too snooty and she thinks that she knows everything."_

Steven listened to Lapis and said, _"She's not so bad. She just likes everything done a certain way. She cooks, she cleans, and she even washes my clothes, just like a mother would. She always wants to protect me and she gets upset if I'm out late or I don't tell her where I'm going."_ Lapis listened as he went on and on about Pearl. She jumped back into the conversation and said, _"Yeah Steven I think she has a problem. No gem should continue to caudle another gem. She needs to get a life."_ Steven looked at Lapis with hurt in his eyes, and said, _"She's only like that with me because I lost my mom. She's tried to fill the void, and she does the best that she can." _Lapis looked down at Steven and said, _"But she's not your mom. She can never be your mom. The sooner you figure that out the better. It's to not good to pretend with her." _Steven looked down at the floor and said, _"I don't like where this is going, can we talk about something else?"_

Lapis responded, _"Fine Steven, why don't you tell me about your Mother. Your real Mother please!" _Steven looked up at her again and said, _"I don't know a whole lot about her. I just know that she was friends with Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. She came to_ _earth and fell in love with my dad. My dad says that my mother Rose was kind and…"_ But before Steven could finish, Lapis grabbed his arm and said, _"Your mother's name was Rose!?" _Steven looked at her, and observed how her eyes were searching for something. He nodded his head at her and said, _"Yes, my Mothers name was Rose, Rose Quartz."_ He lifted up his shirt and said, _"I have her gemstone, see?" _Lapis let Steven go and froze. She was stunned when she heard his words. She looked down at his gemstone, as her eyes began to water. Steven stared at her and asked, _"Is everything alright Lapis? Are you okay?"_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Bloody History**

Lapis sat there, in shock, as she heard Stevens's words. Steven once again, asked, _"Are you okay Lapis? Why aren't you saying anything?"_ She remained silent, but then she slowly uttered a response. _"I never knew she was your mother Steven…."_ Steven stared at her, bewildered, and said_, "What difference does it make?" _Lapis stared back at him and said, _"It means the world to me Steven! Your mother's name is known across the galaxy. She is highly respected and often times regarded as a friend to all gems." _Steven sat there in silence, and processed everything that she was saying, then quietly said, _"I just wish I knew more about her, where she comes from, why everyone loves her so much."_ Lapis put her hand on Stevens shoulder and said, _"This is what I've been waiting for Steven. To tell you about our history. I know that you may not fully understand, but someday you will."_ Steven listened to her and said, _"I want to know everything. Where I fit in with all of this. I want to know about my mother."_

Lapis was sitting, as she raised her palm into the air and formed a "water globe." Steven stared at the object and asked, _"What is that?"_ She replied, _"This is our planet Steven, where all gems are descended from." _Steven got closer, he stared at the mini globe that was sitting in the palm of her hand and said_, "It looks just like Earth."_ Lapis nodded her head and said, _"Our planet's atmosphere is very similar to earth. There's bodies of water, landmasses, volcanoes, cold climates, etc."_ She continued, _"Then we also have many of the things that you've already seen, such as warp pads, shrines, palaces, etc. It was a very beautiful place Steven."_ He looked at her and said, _"Was a beautiful place? What do you mean by that? Is it different now?" _When Lapis heard Stevens's words, she closed her palm and clinched it into a fist. Steven watched as water began dripping from her hand, and the globe was no longer there.

She quietly said, _"Our civilization has been around for millions of years Steven. But it has also been ravaged by war and fighting amongst fellow gems."_ Steven said, _"Why?"_ Lapis simply responded, _"Different ideologies Steven, much like the human race. That's why I choose not to get involved in earthly conflicts. I've seen it all; death, destruction, genocide, enslavement. It's amazing how a Species can destroy one another, over something as simple as a belief, race, or social construct."_ Steven listened to her intently then said, _"How does my mom fit into all of this." _Lapis looked at him and smiled, then said, _"Your mother is gem who chose a different path. She chose a life of love and peace. She came to earth with her companions, and proceeded to build a new life. Rose saw the beauty in all things, even someone like myself." _Steven's eyes began to tear, then he asked, _"Then why do you hate the crystal gems so much?"_

Lapis stared back at him and said, _"I don't hate them Steven, I just don't agree with them."_ She continued and said, _"Your mother was the central figure of the group, and now that she's gone, what's missing is love and compassion for other gems. The same love and compassion that you had for me, when you set me free Steven. The crystal gems no longer possess Rose's ideologies, except for the fact that a small piece of her is still left in the group, which is you Steven."_ Steven looked at her and said, _"Yes they do! They still have love and compassion! They want to protect mankind, just like my mom did!"_ Lapis just sighed and said, _"what about their compassion for gem kind? I highly doubt your mother would've kept me locked away in a mirror Steven. No matter how angry or unstable I may have been, she would've never treated me like that!"_

Steven sat there with his eyes still glossy and said, _"They've made mistakes, we all make mistakes; but I think they can learn. You can learn too Lapis, you can learn to be a little more compassionate as well."_ Lapis smiled, as she wiped the tears from his eyes and said, _"That's true, you're never too old to stop learning."_ Lapis embraced Steven and said, _"I'm glad we had this talk Steven. I know you don't fully understand your history, but I trust that your friends, misguided as they are, will do their best to slowly reveal it to you." _Steven hugged her back and said, _"Thank you Lapis."_ She smiled at him and asked_, "Are you ready to go the next realm Steven?" _Steven smiled at her and said, _"Yes, let's bring these gems back to their homes!"_

They stood up and proceeded to walk back on the warp pad. But before they left, Steven turned to Lapis and asked, _"Can I please go back to the gems when we're finished with this?"_ Lapis smiled at him and said, _"You don't want to come with me to my planet Steven?" _Steven responded, _"I'm sorry Lapis, but my place is with them. This is my home."_ Lapis said softly, _"I understand, I hope we can see each other again one day?"_ Steven smiled at her and said, _"We will, and I'm glad we're on this journey together. You've given me so much, more than you realize."_ Lapis smiled at him once more and said, _"That was my intent, and we're not done yet."_ A beam of light came down upon the warp pad, and just is it did, the two were gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Farewell**

It had been several weeks since Greg last heard from his son, Steven. He walked up the steps to the Beach house, and when he opened the door, he saw Pearl sitting at the counter. Greg looked inside the house and said,

"_Wow Pearl! I really like what you've done with the place! It looks spotless in here…." _

Pearl didn't pay any mind to Greg's words, instead she had her eyes fixated downward at the counter top. Greg walked inside the house and asked,

"_What are you looking at?"_

Pearl finally responded as she whispered in a subtle tone,

"_Just a photo album of Steven. I'm looking at his baby pictures, when he lost his first tooth, family outings, etc."_

Greg smiled as he heard her words and asked,

"_Do you have that picture of time Steven and I played guitar together at the Beach City Concert?" _

Pearl responded,

"_No Greg, unfortunately I don't. This is a photo album that I made of just Steven and I. Perhaps Amethyst has a copy laying around in her junk pile somewhere, she took pictures that day as well."_

Greg walked up to the counter and asked,

"_Oh I see. Mind if I take a look?"_

Pearl responded apprehensively,

"_Sure, just please be careful with it."_

Greg looked down at the photo album and became a little concerned. He looked at Pearl and said,

"_Was it absolutely necessary to take pictures of him while he was sleeping?"_

Pearl looked at Greg and started to blush. She closed the photo album shut, and when she did she became completely blue in her face. She looked at him and said,

"_I like to cherish every moment that I have with Steven. Even if he's unaware of my presence."_

Greg looked back at her with a puzzled look in his eyes and said,

"_Okay, that's cool….That's not weird in anyway…."_

Pearl quickly changed the subject and said,

"_So what are you doing here? I told you I would be fine Greg. I'm just waiting for Garnet and Amethyst to return, then we're going after Lapis."_

Greg responded half-heartedly and said,

"_I thought Lapis warned you not to go after her?"_

Pearl responded,

"_It's been too long, and I refuse to wait any longer. I knew Steven couldn't trust that witch!"_

Greg quickly responded,

"_Now wait a minute Pearl! Let's think this through. When you guys have gone on missions before, how long has it taken you to return?"_

Pearl responded,

"_A few weeks, sometimes several depending on the factors."_

Then Greg said,

"_Right, so is not possible that Lapis and Steven are doing exactly what they said they would do? Maybe they're just taking a little bit longer to come back?"_

Pearl thought about it logically and said,

"_I guess it's possible. But you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here? And what is that in your hand?"_

Greg looked at Pearl with hurt in his eyes, then looked down at the bag that he was holding and said,

"_Oh this? It's just some of Stevens's old toys and some of his clothes that I had tucked away in my storage unit. I thought maybe you could use them. I thought they would make you feel better." _

Pearl looked down at the bag, then back at Greg, and began sobbing. She reached out to embrace him, then quietly said,

"_I'm sorry for my attitude Greg! Please forgive me! My hearts broken right now and I just miss Steven! Garnet and_ _Amethyst aren't back yet either, so I've been feeling lonely!"_

Greg hugged Pearl, and as he soaked up her tears in his shirt, he quietly said,

"_It's okay Pearl, I know how you feel. I miss my son as well. In fact I miss all of you guys! We just have to trust that everything is going to be alright."_

Pearl leaned back from his embrace, and as she wiped the tears from her eyes she said,

"_For the longest time I hated you! I blamed you for Rose leaving us! But now I see what she saw in you! You're a kind person Greg! And you're beautiful both inside and out!"_

Greg laughed as he released her from his embrace and said,

"_Just on the inside…"_

Pearl took the bag from Greg and walked up the stairs towards Stevens room. Greg followed her, and when he got up the stairs he saw how clean it was. He looked around and said,

"_I guess you've been keeping yourself busy by cleaning these past few weeks."_

Pearl smiled at him, as she started organizing and placing the items in Stevens room, then said,

"_What can I say, I love to clean! I know Steven's going to want to sleep in a clean bed when he gets back."_

Greg looked around and noticed that he couldn't find the gemstones. He looked at Pearl and said,

"_Where are the gems at Pearl?"_

Pearl responded,

"_I put them in their rooms. When Amethyst and Garnet comeback, I want them to be in a familiar setting."_

Greg nodded his head and said,

"_Okay, that makes sense. Well it looks like I should get going, it's getting late. Let me know if anything turns up."_

Greg headed down stairs, but before he could get any further, Pearl put her hand on his shoulder and said,

"_Please stay with me!"_

Greg turned around to look at her and said,

"_It's okay Pearl, you really don't have to….."_

But before he could finish his words, Pearl cut him off and began frantically saying,

"_Have you had anything to eat!? I can make dinner! We have movies if you feel like watching something!? I can put on some popcorn!"_

Greg stared at Pearl and said,

"_Dinner? I thought you don't like to eat anything?"_

Pearl quickly responded,

"_I can make dinner for you! I'll drink tea!"_

Then Greg asked nervously,

"_Where's Lion?"_

Pearl responded,

"_He's outside, sleeping. I don't want him inside the house, it's too clean in here."_

Greg looked down at the stairs and sighed. Then as he lifted up his head, he said,

"_Look Pearl, I know you and I have always had a different relationship. I know it's different when Steven is around, just like its different right now. I don't want to make you feel awkward or uncomfortable in any way. I've given you your space because I know that's the way you like it."_

Pearl looked back at Greg, with a few tears running down her face, and said,

"_I know I've been difficult towards you Greg, and I'm sorry about that! But I don't want to be alone! And I know that sounds selfish, but if you leave, you're the only person that I have left to remind me of Steven!"_

"_When Amethyst and Garnet comeback, they're going to be angry with me because I failed to protect Steven! I don't think I can face them alone! Please stay with me!"_

Greg hugged Pearl once more and said,

"_They're not going to be angry with you. You did everything that you could have done. Lapis was just too strong."_

Greg saw that she was broken, so he held her close and finally said,

"_I'll stay Pearl, you don't have to worry about a thing. We'll explain it to both of them."_

Pearl's heart melted as she heard Greg's words. She felt herself relax and slip into a state of peace, something that she had been deprived of for weeks now. The two headed downstairs and sat on the sofa. Pearl got up and headed into the kitchen to put a pot of tea on the stove, and she threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave. After a few minutes, she returned with two cups of tea and the bag of popcorn, she saw that Greg was already passed out and snoring on the sofa.

She smiled as she set the items down on the counter, and walked away, eventually returning with a blanket in hand. She placed the blanket over Greg and gave him a few extra pillows underneath his head. She watched as he opened his eyes briefly to say,

"_Thank you Pearl…"_

She looked down at him and said softly,

"_You're welcome Greg, goodnight!"_

After a few moments of lying there, with his head facing the ceiling, Greg started to feel little "flashes" of light seep through his eyelids. He forced himself to wake up, and saw Pearl standing over him, taking pictures with a camera. Greg was now fully awake as he shouted from the top of his lungs,

"_PEEEEAAAARRRLLL!"_

Pearl ran off with a wild look in her eyes and said,

"_Sorry Greg! Goodnight!"_

Then she turned off the lights.

Greg rolled over in the couch and quietly mumbled to himself,

"_I'm glad I chose you Rose….your friends are weird!"_

_**The next morning**_

Greg rolled over in the couch, and as he gradually started to open his eyes, he saw Amethyst and Pearl at the counter arguing with each other.

"_Keep your voice down, he's sleeping!"_ Pearl said as she motioned over towards Greg. Then Amethyst responded,

"_Oh please! Since when do you care whether Greg is sleeping or not!? Also, I want him to hear how much of a DUMBASS you are for letting Steven go with that witch!"_

With her final remark, Pearl leaped towards Amethyst and began fighting. They were loud as they began bumping into furniture and knocking over other household items. Greg stood up from the sofa, and ran over to get in between them, then shouted,

"_Calm down guys! Stop fighting! Where is Garnet?"_

Amethyst seized throwing her punches at Pearl and shouted,

"_She's not back yet! She was badly damaged, so she'll take a little bit longer to come back! And Pearl's lucky she's not back yet!"_

Pearl, once again tried to grab Amethyst, but Greg stood in between them and said,

"_Come on guys! Stop fighting!"_

As Greg said his words, all three turned their attention towards the gem door, and saw it begin to light up. Pearl's heart sank as she saw the gemstones on Garnets door begin to glow. Amethyst grinned at Pearl and said,

"_Now you're in trouble!" _

The door opened, and as Garnet walked out, Pearl began to shake. Garnet stood in front of them and quietly said,

"_Where is Steven?"_

When there was no response, Amethyst folded her arms and turned her attention to Pearl, then said,

"_Why don't you ask Pearl? I bet she knows where he is!"_

Garnet waited and finally said,

"_Pearl? Do you have something you want to tell me?"_

Pearl broke down and said,

"_It wasn't my fault! There was nothing I could do Garnet, I swear! She took him and I…"_

Garnet broke Pearl's response and said,

"_You let Lapis Lazuli take him?"_

Greg looked over at Pearl and saw that she was crying. He put his hand on her back and began massaging it to calm her down. He looked up at Garnet and said,

"_There was nothing she could do. I was there and watched as Lapis took Steven. My son willingly left with her."_

Amethyst looked at Greg and said,

"_Why would Steven want to go with her?"_

Garnet let out a sigh and quietly said,

"_I think I know why. All of the gemstones are missing."_

Amethyst's eyes became wide as she turned her attention towards Garnet and shouted,

"_She took all of the gemstones!? Do you know how long it took for us to get all of them!?"_

Pearl chimed back into the conversation and said in a broken voice,

"_She said that Steven was going to learn how to live amongst other gems, and that if I followed her, she would make sure that he would never return."_

Garnet placed her hand on Pearls shoulder and said,

"_We're not mad at you Pearl. I just wish we would've been here to help. Maybe we could have stopped her."_

Pearl wiped the tears from her eyes and said,

"_I don't think it would've made a difference. Lapis could've destroyed me and she didn't because she wanted me to suffer. I don't know what hurts more, the wounds that she gave me during our battle, or the fact that Steven willingly chose her over me!"_

Garnet reached out to hug her, and as she did, she could feel Pearl breaking down. Amethyst yelled at Garnet and said,

"_Garnet no! She lost Steven! This is all her fault! You should be mad at her! She's an idi…."_

But Garnet snapped back at Amethyst before she could finish and said,

"_Be quiet Amethyst! Don't say anything!"_

Amethyst walked off and said,

"_Whatever, I'll be in my room! Let me know when you guys are done hugging! I'm ready to go after Steven!"_

But before Amethyst made it to her room, a beam of light came down upon the warp pad….

_**Back home**_

Steven and Lapis were standing on the warp pad, and as he stepped off, he shouted,

"_Amethyst! Garnet! You guys are back!"_

He reached out to hug Amethyst, and as he did, he could feel that she was completely stiff. Amethyst was now staring back at Lapis, who was still standing on the warp pad, and began to fill her anger brew inside of her. She shoved Steven towards Garnet, she put her fist to her chest, and summoned her whip. As Amethyst cracked her whip, she shouted,

"_I've been waiting to see your ugly face again! There's no ocean around to help you this time! I won't drown so easily!"_

Amethyst was ready to strike, but before she could, Steven shouted,

"_No! Don't Amethyst! Leave her alone!"_

Amethyst ignored Steven and began to attack. But before Amethyst could advance in her attack, Lapis raised her palm in the air, and watched as Amethyst's body went completely stiff. She raised her body a few feet in the air and watched as Amethyst dropped her whip to the ground. Steven saw this, he ran towards Lapis, then shouted,

"_Lapis! What are you doing to her!? Please let her go!"_

Lapis had an eerie smile on her face as she said,

"_You know what the interesting thing is about our bodies, Steven? We all have fluid inside us….."_

"_We have tears from our eyes, spit in our mouth, and blood coursing through our veins…."_

Pearl ran and grabbed Steven, then Garnet quietly said something,

"_We're sorry Lapis. Could you please let her go?"_

Steven and Pearl both turned to face Garnet, and were in shock when they heard her words. Lapis also turned her attention to Garnet and said,

"_You've changed, Garnet. I'll release her."_

Lapis dropped her hand and watched as Amethyst fell to the floor. Steven ran towards her, he dropped to his knees and said,

"_Are you okay Amethyst!? Say something!?"_

She gradually started to open her eyes and said,

"_I don't feel so good. I feel like my head is about to explode…"_

Steven helped her up and guided her as she sat down on the couch. Lapis stepped off the warp pad and walked over towards them. Pearl saw this and was ready to attack, but as she was about to, Garnet grabbed her and said,

"_Calm down. Let's see what happens."_

Amethyst looked up, as Lapis sat down next to her, and said in a groggy voice,

"_I hate you…"_

Lapis smiled as she put her hand on Amethyst's forehead and began to concentrate. Steven observed her and quietly asked,

"_What are you doing?"_

Lapis responded,

"_I'm regulating her temperature, she has a bit of a headache."_

Amethyst slowly faded off to sleep, but before she did she said,

"_You're lucky, I was ready to pound your face in…."_

Lapis smiled at her and said,

"_Right! Thank you for not pounding my face in!"_

Lapis stood up and said to Steven,

"_Well, I think I should be going Steven. I think I've caused enough heartache."_

"_Are you sure you won't come with me?"_

Steven stared back at her and said,

"_No, like I said my place is here."_

"_Thank you for bringing me back to the gems. I also want to thank you for everything that you've done for me. In a weird, strange sort of way, I know you care and you were trying to teach me something."_

Lapis responded,

"_Thank you Steven, and you're welcome. I'm sorry for the ways things turned out. I wish I would've handled it differently. But I don't regret taking you with me. That was something that you needed to experience."_

Steven nodded his head, he grabbed her hand, then said,

"_I'll walk you out."_

The two headed towards the door, as Garnet and Pearl both watched. They went down the stairs, walked on the beach, and headed towards the tide with Garnet and Pearl both following.

_**Farewell**_

Lapis was standing on the beach and could feel the tide brushing against her feet. She turned her attention towards Steven, gave him one final embrace, and said,

"_Thank you for being my friend Steven. I'm glad you actually listened to me! I hope we can see each other again one day? It would be nice if you would consider coming to my home world."_

Steven smiled back at her and said,

"_You're welcome Lapis! Thank you for being my beach summer fun buddy!"_

She smiled back at him, with a few tears in her eyes, and said,

"_Perhaps we'll see each other again one day, under better circumstances…"_

She gave Steven a kiss on the cheek, released him from her embrace, and as she did this Pearl began to cringe while she was standing next to Garnet. Lapis walked out of the tide, with her wings exposed, and headed towards the two of them. She made sure to keep eye contact with Garnet and Pearl, and said in a stern voice,

"_If I find out that you're imprisoning other gems, I'll be back! And next time I won't be so forgiving!"_

"_They'll be others like me, other gems that discover this world. Hopefully you'll treat them differently than how you treated me!"_

Garnet quietly responded,

"_How? The central warp pad is down, it's broken and no longer functions. There is no way any gem can access this realm, and there's no way for us to go back to the home planet."_

Lapis responded,

"_There's always a way. And whether or not the gem who crosses over has bad intentions or good, that remains to be seen. I just hope the crystal gems don't have to find out the hard way…"_

Lapis headed back towards the sea. She leaped into the air and began flying towards the sky. As she was doing so she turned back to gaze down upon Steven. Steven was waving goodbye to her and then he said to himself,

"_She's so cool! I wish I could fly just like her!"_

Pearl chimed in and said,

"_Oh Please! She's not that great!"_

Garnet smiled a little and said,

"_It sounds to me like someone's jealous." _

Pearl's eyes grew wide as she heard Garnets words, she had never known her to joke around. She simply said,

"_I'm not jealous of anything! What is there to be jealous of!? That gem is just psychotic, and she has no class!"_

Steven walked past Pearl and headed towards the Beach house, then said,

"_Come on Pearl! Let's go back inside, we need to check on Amethyst."_

_**Leaving Earth**_

Lapis was now leaving earth's atmosphere. When she made it into Space, she turned around to gaze down upon Earth one more time and said,

"_Farewell Steven, we'll see each other again one day."_

When she turned back to face the stars, out of the corner of her eye she saw a small "green" orb coming from space. She saw that the object was heading towards earth, so she flew to retrieve it. When she had it in her hands, she saw that it was a "metallic green ball" and it began to open. Lapis observed how the object began struggling, as it now had legs, and tried to break free of her grasp. A latch opened, it began shooting liquid towards her, and she moved just in time to avoid it.

Lapis felt her rage brewing again, and she began crushing the object in the palm of her hands. She looked out to Space, and could see several more of these objects heading towards earth. She began to concentrate, as her wings became massive, and they were now stretched out several hundred feet. She flew towards the objects, and in one motion, she smashed all of them in between her massive wings. Lapis watched, as she saw dozens of small explosions occur, then she said to herself,

"_Peridot…."_

She gazed down upon earth one final time and said,

"_Hopefully I bought you some time Steven. Your friends need to learn the error of their ways quickly. Someone else is coming and they may not be as forgiving as I am…"_


End file.
